The present invention relates to displaying map information on a portable computing device.
Various kinds of systems and applications are available that provide persons with useful information while traveling. For example, navigation systems installed in vehicles provide useful information to vehicle drivers and passengers, including information for finding desired destinations, as well as guidance for following routes to desired destinations. Similar features are available on portable (e.g., handheld) devices. These types of portable devices include personal navigation systems (PNSs), which are portable devices designed specifically to provide navigation and/or map-related features, such as destination searches, routing and/or map display. These types of portable devices also include general purpose devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), on which are installed navigation and/or map-related applications. These types of portable devices can be used in vehicles, but can also be carried by pedestrians or by persons using other modes of transportation, such as trains, boats, and so on.
A continuing consideration associated with providing navigation and/or map information on portable devices is making the information easy to understand, given the relatively small size of the display. Portable devices, such as personal navigation systems and personal digital assistants, have relatively small display screens compared to desktop computers, notebook computers or even in-vehicle navigation systems. Therefore, efficient utilization of available display screen resources can be a factor when providing navigation and/or map related features on a portable device.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide navigation or map-related features on portable systems in a manner that is easy to understand.
Further, there is a need to provide navigation- or map-related features on portable systems that effectively uses available display resources.